The Inconvenient Truth About Islam

Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, former editor of the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, made a controversial article which he titled The painful Truth is that All of the Terrorists are Muslims after the Beslan attack in September 2004, he wrote:

For certain, not all Muslims are terrorists, but sorrowfully we must say that most of the terrorists in the world are Muslims.

Those who kidnapped the schoolchildren in [North] Ossetia were Muslims.[1] Those who kidnapped the cooks and the Nepalese workers likewise were Muslims. Those who are committing rapes and killings in Darfur are Muslims, and so are their victims.

Those who blew up the residential building complexes in Riyadh and Khobar were Muslims. Those who kidnapped the French journalists were Muslims. The two women who blew up the two planes a week ago were Muslims.

Bin Laden is a Muslim, and al-Houthi is a Muslim.[2] Most of those who carried out suicide operations targeting public buses, schools, homes, and buildings throughout the world in the last ten years have been Muslims.

What a terrible record! Doesn’t it tell us something about ourselves, our societies, and our culture?

These images, whether taken one by one or altogether, are hard, shameful, and disgraceful for us to look at, but instead of denying them and excusing them, we must acknowledge their reality, not compose articles and speeches proclaiming our innocence [bara’atina]. After we have acknowledged this malady [marad] it will become easy to treat ourselves. Self-cure begins with acknowledgement [i’tiraaf]. After that we must pursue our sons the terrorists, for they are the natural products of a perverted culture [thaqafa musshawa].

Listen to what the television sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has said, publicly proclaiming a fatwa[3] permitting the killing of American civilians in Iraq. Consider a religious world that incites the killing of civilians, and a sheikh who, rejecting reverence for life, goads a young girl into killing civilians at the same time his own two daughters are off studying in the safety and security of Great Britain in the United Kingdom of Infidels [kafira].

How would such a father face the mother of the young man Berg[4] who was butchered because he had come to Iraq to work building cell phone towers? How are we to believe him when he tells us that Islam is a religion of mercy and tolerance while he transforms it into a religion of blood [diin dam]?

In the past, we used to consider leftists and nationalists dangerous extremists [mutatarifiin]. But, these extremists today have become a source of corruption that builds on the principle of violence and makes the vocation of killing easy. Back then, the mosque was a safe refuge where religious scholars called for peace and preached about praiseworthy morality.

Islam is being tyrannized by revivalist (jadd) Muslims. It is an innocent religion, which takes genuine pride in its texts prohibiting as harmful the unnecessary cutting down of trees, which characterizes killing as the greatest of crimes, and which stipulates that the one who harms even the least significant has harmed all. This is the Islam we knew before the appearance of the groups of condemnation [takfir] and the calls from mosques, and curriculums, and schools from which the political groups have raided ideas and then turned around and sabotaged their religion and its insights.

Surely, we do no honor to ourselves when from among us come those who kidnap pupils in school or journalists, or kill civilians, or blow up public buses no matter what agonies have been suffered by the avengers. There are those who mutilate Islam and there are those who give it comfort. We will not be able to clean up our reputation until we acknowledge the plain, shameful truth: which is to say that most of the acts of terror in the world today have been committed by the hand of Muslims. We must realize that we will not be able to reform the condition of our youth who are committing these repugnant crimes until we have confronted our sheikhs who from pulpits transform themselves into revolutionaries and send the sons of others off to wars at the same time they send their own children off to European and American schools.

An Indian-born American author Dinesh D’Souza in one interview explained why America has become the land of dreams for so many people in third-world countries including Muslim countries, he said the reason for that is because in America people can become whatever they want to be. In their countries, especially in the Middle East, they have to follow all the frustrating cultural boundaries and life regulations made by their clerics or sheikhs.

Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed’s pain is also felt by me and million other Muslims who hate violence as much as those Americans and Western people who condemn terorrism as an act in the name of God and religions. It is interesting to see how Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed pointed out the role of Islamic clerics in making Islam as a religion of blood. While those sheikhs instruct many young Muslims to commit the wrong kind of jihad and to strap bombs on their bodies at the same time they send their children to European or American schools. Islam is an innocent religion, like Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed said, and it is being manipulated and corrupted by a small group of people who try to spread hatred throughout the world in the name of Islam.

It is a sad truth that most Muslim countries are poor countries, including of course Indonesia. And as a person who believes that political, cultural, and religious elements are so much attached to one and another it is not a surprising fact for me that Muslims are so much left behind from other cultures in the world. It is true that most Muslims are not well educated, it is true that most Muslims live under the poverty line, and it is true that most Muslims have one thing in common to entertain their misery lives: Islam as their only resort. That is why the role of a sheikh, ulama, ustad, or kyai is a big deal in all Muslim countries. Their voice is the voice of God, whatever they say is right and must be followed. “Don’t ask the sheikhs whether they are wrong or not,” they say, “Because they’re just never wrong.”

Of course it is true that not all sheikhs or ulamas are teaching the wrong kind of Islam or jihad, in Indonesia for example, I have seen some great Islamic clerics who spread the words of love, peace, and tolerance. But, no one can deny that clergy is a big business, there is a lot of money involved. Kyais are paid to preach on TVs or radios, I mean nothing is free in this material world, not even religions. And I’m sure that nobody can deny the fact that there are more than many Indonesian ulamas who are related to political parties or Government organizations. In politics where people’s voice means power, the role of ulamas is something that politicians can’t ignore especially in a country where there are hundred millions of people who claim themselves religious but unfortunately not well educated, and at the same time those holy people have the voice of God, of course you will be able to see the relation clearly.

With all due respect to Islamic clerics, a smart person knows better than a stupid person that he doesn’t really need clerics for his spiritual thirst. He knows too well that clerics are just ordinary people who can make mistakes just like him. He knows that his Islam is the kind of religion that allows him to have reasonable freedom to explore the beauty of it according to what he needs the most in life, and sometimes he just doesn’t need a cleric to do so.

I know I’m not a good Muslim but I know that I hate to see people who claim that they are backed by God destroying the religion I believe, Islam. Islam is my way of life. Islam is when I wake up one morning, open my eyes, and celebrate the beatiful day as a bless that God has given me, so my heart hurts to see people stripping off my Islam as if it was a whore.

Guebukanmonyet, these are hard but brave and refreshing words. It’s the right way to speak up for a major religion in distress. You’ve done so open minded and very well. Islam (and the non Islam world as well) would benefit if the overwhelming majority of your peaceful fellow believers followed your lead.

(I’m curious about the comments of oky and yusuf – but infortunately that will remain a secret for all of those who cann’t read Bahassa I.)

Jennie: Thank you Mba. I’ll keep learning how to write better and deeper.

Oky: I agree with you. Islam that we know is being cornered and intimidated by the world, it is our duty to prove that Islam we believe is not the kind of Islam they know. Sukses juga Bro!

Jusuf: Well, I can’t really deny you on that. It is true that many Muslims in this world read The Koran too literally while due to its modernization Christian community is more contextual in translating its Bible’s verses, but the question sometimes arises, “How contextual is Christian community?” You have to remember that most Western cultures are so secular. Thank you.

Oky: Mmmh, “Keras” disini saya kira sangat relatif.

Colson: Long time no see🙂 Thanks for the support. I guess you can now figure out where the discussion has been going. That article you gave me could help a little bit, it has almost the same topic.

Domba Garut!: I agree. It’s all about how we see Islam from our hearts not from the mainstream medias.

Yunir: I guess you absorb that sentence in a wrong way. I’m not comparing smart people and stupid people by the quality of their IQ, but all I’m trying to say is that you have to be “smart” enough to be brave to have your own voice on the kind of Islam that you believe, and not being so-called stupid to follow the mainstream voice orchestrated by famous clerics.

@yunir: Religion is perfect, the believers are in distress. I’ll give you that. Okay?

But the main point is that this article does not put the blame entirely outside the world of the Islam. And, as you well know, to improve one’s situation it usually helps to start with some self-criticism. That’s exactly what Guebukanmonyet did.

I have to admit I’m fond of these well informed articles , written by a very sensible author. I prefer them very much to hotheaded pamphlets by belligerent Muslimbashers on one side and angry, hostile believers on the other.

By the way: so you, Yunir, think (all?) Americans have been brainwashed by their media? Can you go a bit further into the subject? Being European I like to gossip about the Yankees.

I trully agree with the writter. Before we condemn the western civilization for creating unjustice globalization, capitalism, brainwashing etc, we should look beyond ourself first. The so-called sheiks and ulamas who promote the teachings of violance and hostility do exist widely accross the globe. It can be strecthed even from the earliest development of Islam as an “institutional religion”.
As a moslem, I personnally believe that the genuine teaching of Islam is consistent to Universal Humanism. If Islam does promote violence, it is impossible that 1.3 billion people of this earth embrace it.
However, the shaping of one’s understanding to a belief cannot be seperated from his/her surroundings, background and situation. These terrorists mindsets are created from the deep frustation of what they encountered and the unwillingness of their “teachers” to admit that the world is rapidly changing, that it is not enough just by using simple literal understanding of Koran and their captive mind to implement this Beautiful Religion accordingly.

@Colson: I never said Americans have been brainwashed. I said people – meaning anyone who consumes American media. Please read. And of course I don’t mean all or even most.

To elaborate on this matter warrants a study of the American media itself, which is raher lengthy. And I have no energy to teach. It is not my own thoughts, but rather, something widely available in related literatures. So yeh, go do your own study.

@ yunir: Let’s quote: “The American media have successfully brainwashed people – Muslims and non-Muslims- that the profile of a typical terrorist is a Muslim”.

The consumers of American Media are first and foremost American. In fact you claim all of them are brainwashed: Muslims + Non-Muslims = 100% . So you claim that at least 300 million people think the typical profile of a terrorist is a Muslim.

This is a fascinating and sweeping statement. But I doubt whether it is a valid statement. Any informed man or woman knows the members of the Rote Armee Faction were terrorists, but had nothing to do with religion.

But, whatever, the burden of proof is on you – even when you are very tired- because it’s your hypothesis.

Of course you are right if you say there always is a cause for terrorism. This cause may be right or even noble. Or the cause may be a severe deprivation of some kind. But that’s hardly a justification for terror. Even noble causes are incurably corrupted by appalling means.

to be honest i have not fully read the article but from half of it i got the impression that the poster fully blame Muslims who happen to be terrorist. well if my impression is correct, then the poster is not fair enough dealing with the issue.

the poster openly and consistently put people who he thinks to be terrorist as the sole and main defendant, this what i do not agree. you know man…there won’t be blood without wound…so there won’t be terrorist without provocation from others.

conclusion i believe your article would be more sterling and more fair if you write about others who provoked those muslims to be terrorist and put them as defendant too as you did toward muslims.

above all im sorry if my impression is incorrect, if it is then i’ll take all the words i wrote here, and consider it never been written.

There always have been people who resorted to terrorism because they wanted a better future, social justice, freedom, getting rid of dictatorship,…

You may or may not have heard of Robespierre – in name of the starving civilians of France and the ideals of the French Revolution (freedom, equality and solidarity) he had hundreds of thousands slaughtered.

You may or not have heard of Lenin/Mao – in the name of the ideals of socialism and a better life for the deprived poor workers and farmers of Russia/China he ( and his successors) ordered millions to be terrorized to death.

Nowadays religious idealism uses terrorism. Just like John Gray (“Black Mass: apocalyptic religion and the death of Utopia”) I can not but see terrorism in the name of religion in the same perspective as the ideological terrorism mentioned above.

Do you think there has been any, let alone sufficient, justification for the terror of Robespierre or Lenin? I guess not. So, do you really think there can ever be any sufficient justification for terrorism in the name of Islam?

I can not believe you do. It is a disgrace to a peaceful religion. In my opinion any sincere believer should distance him/herself from the abuse of Islam by the likes of Osama. And should start by looking for the causes of – and deal with- this appalling behavior inside the own community, before getting apologetic about it by blaming outsiders.

Don’t take me wrong. I’m not blind to the wrongdoings of “outsiders”. Even Osama has some points; the powerful presence of foreign powers in the countries of the Middle East is wrong. The situation of Palestinians is terrible. Etc, etc.

But blowing innocent people to pieces in the name of your religion ….?

Yes i agree with you yet im not blind either, and i know for certain my Islam does not teach to slaughter civilian and innocent people. And Islam does not promote unjust war.

In al Baqarah, Allah SWT clearly states:

“Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors.” (Al Baqarah, 2:190)

But do those enemies of ‘Muslims terrorist’ know how to practice right and decent war similar as to al Baqarah states? apparently they don’t.

As we can see at the most arrogant state on this planet’s acts which is USA, when it used deplete uranium bombs against the Iraqi civilians during the gulf war that infected many iraqi infants and caused for these Iraqi children to be born with deformed bodies and turned their appearances into terrifying monsters (may Allah GUIDE US all to the light of the truth…Amiin Allahuma Amiin). And when iraq request the clean-up equipment that they desperately need to decontaminate their country of the Depleted Uranium ammunition that the US fired at them, yet USA refused the request.

And not to forget more than one million Iraqis have died and 567,000 of them children, as a direct consequence of economic sanctions during embargo according cnn.

As to the Palestinian suicide bombers today, the religious leaders of the Islamic organizations inside Palestine made it very clear that they are giving the verdict (fatwa) to kill the civilian Jews inside Israel, because (1) the Jews are killing civilians from us; (2) the Jews are building more settlements and are not withdrawing from the lands that they were not supposed to be in since 1991; and (3) the Jews are all armed and dangerous and their civilians do use their weapons against the unarmed Palestinian civilians.

You know man, this issue reminds me of the ancient roman proverb Quod licet lovi, non licet bovi, it means what’s allow for Jupiter is not allow for the cattle/oxen. The crimes against Muslim’s civilians are committed in full day-light, with the blessing of the ruling “civilized nations” while at the same time the counter attack of few organized Muslims terrorist’s crimes were perpetrated in the greatest secret and without the blessing of the “civilized world”. Thus, the USA and its accomplices is Jupiter and ‘Muslims Terrorist’ is cattle. Although I don’t agree with those so-called terrorist, but accepting the fact that they are the only criminals that must be put to blame is definitely something that i accept NOT!

And one more thing sir, You don’t need to tell me about the stories of Robespierre, Lenin & Mao, their deeds were performed to actualized their own interests. Thus, It’s not something worth to compare with.

Now I wonder does the poster of the above article know exactly what he said? Or just parroting the circulated opinion…? Allah Knows Best.

Harry: I agree, let’s start from ourselves first. We, muslims, have been having a blowback for so many years even centuries and somehow we keep blaming others for the condition.

Yunir: You are right, terrorism is probably not the real “thing.” It’s an effect of something that we need to explore.

Abi Bakar: I hope you read the article first, then you may judge my point of view. Thank you.

Colson: It seems we have a great discussion going on. But it is true that you have to understand muslims have been opressed by so-called good people for so many years, America is a good example brought by Abi Bakar.

Tell me what triggers them to do so? is it because Quran told them to do, or because they are all psychopaths who love to blow themselves up and killing infidels without reasons? (answer it by your heart)

no …im not here to be satisfied not even once to think about it. if it’s the voice of your heart then make it sound fairer next time.

@ You say you can not accept that anyone should put the blame on the “so called” terrorists only. Neither do I. Neither does anyone here.

You let it been known that you are very indignant about percieved “state-terrorism”. And rightly so. We should hold accountable those who are responsible. There is an illegal war going on and atrocities have been committed. The””coalition of the willing” can do with a lot of self-criticism – and, I assure you, there is.

On the other I can not accept attempts to explain away a fatwa to kill an author or a mission to blow up the Madrid Railway station. Therefore I appreciate a honest post as this one, in which some thorny questions are asked about some nasty realities.

It may help a cool, reasonable, moderate and tolerant communication by representatives on both sides. And grow some resilience in the face of criticism of matters dear to one another. Anger will not help. On the contrary. So I think it would be a good idea if you scrutinized your assumption (by implication) that Muslim terrorists are merely responding to attacks.

We should try to diminish violence on both sides. Because I’m sure we can agree on the statement that “blowing innocent people to pieces” is off limits, don’t we?

i have no problem with all of your words above but in my humble opinion people should be fair especially when they are talking about the issue which i s involving two sides. The chaos is caused BY the TWO SIDES not ONE!

But look his own words again, he mentioned only muslims, terrorist, cleric, sheik and ulama, so where is the other side? USA, UK, Israel? did he forget the names?.

Did he think that those terrorist wanted to blow themselves up in the first place, did he never think that those suicide bombers and terrorist want to have a happy and normal live too with their families in their countries rather than go to usa, spain, etc just to killing infidels?

Well, I guess there are many reasons. I’ve said this many times on my blog, but I truly believe that religious, economic, political, and cultural values are so much attached to one and another. Look at the economic side, most Muslim countries are so poor: look at Darfur, Pakistan, or even Indonesia while the rich ones are governed by tyrants. Why are we so poor? One of the things is because we are stupid. And why are we stupid? Because most Muslims in this world are not educated, no wonder there have been no inventions made by the Islamic society for so long compared to what Islam had in its glorious time. And no wonder Muslims read Al-Quran too literally.

You said, “Did he think that those terrorist wanted to blow themselves up in the first place, did he never think that those suicide bombers and terrorist want to have a happy and normal live too with their families in their countries rather than go to usa, spain, etc just to killing infidels?”

For your information, all radical Muslims who blow themselves in Western soil are not poor and they are well-educated, and I believe they have prosperous families. Don’t compare their stupid terorrism act from the hungry and oppressed Palestenians.

Writing this article doesn’t mean that I blame the whole condition to Muslims, you should read my other articles. This article was intended to be a reflection for all Muslims to see their religion in a humble and pure way. Islam should be freed from hypocrites.

@ Well, I’m really glad we have found common ground. And maybe we can even give it a try – that sensible discussion, I mean.

But first of all I want you to know that in my opinion Guebukanmonyet always writes balanced articles. That is the articles which are in english – unfortunately I’m not yet able to read Bahassa Indonesia.

For instance this article – which is about shortcomings in the own communities- also points to the socio-cultural and socio-economical deprivation of the peoples of most of the Muslim countries. A situation which is in part a result of the western worldwide dominance by means of the capitalist condition. These circumstances may well be a breeding ground for violence.

It goes without saying I might add – because it’s a commonplace argument, a platitude – that western foreign policies often didn’t and don’t help either.

But I’m a little puzzled about your last few sentences.

Of course suicide bombers/terrorists have to be extremely deeply motivated to participate in such an unbelievable horrifying act. Of course they must be convinced that they have to do what they do, to counter an abominable abuse of gigantic proportions as they perceive it . Of course they must have reached a state of fanaticism. Otherwise they would have chosen a happy family life.

The point is however that their choices are not always independent individual decisions. There often is an ideology behind it, with a lot of group think. The “9/11” or London-subway terrorists were no poor, downtrodden Palestinians taking on the occupation. They were middle class men, mainly driven by a political reli-ideology.

I should like to hold accountable all of those who have preached this unholy gospel to them. And even more so those who still advocate this reli-ideology. Because this gospel did send them to death – and a lot of others too.

Guebukanmonyet said…”For your information, all radical Muslims who blow themselves in Western soil are not poor and they are well-educated, and I believe they have prosperous families. Don’t compare their stupid terorrism act from the hungry and oppressed Palestenians.”

Did i ever mention anything about poverty and uneducated people? well tell me, what made them do the things that you mentioned? (answer it by your heart)

Colson: Yes I agree, a sensible discussion will be great. I like your opinion: “For instance this article – which is about shortcomings in the own communities- also points to the socio-cultural and socio-economical deprivation of the peoples of most of the Muslim countries. A situation which is in part a result of the western worldwide dominance by means of the capitalist condition. These circumstances may well be a breeding ground for violence.”

Fanaticism is a good example, it is interesting to see how educated people could be drawn into this way of thinking, and I think the role of Sheikhs is really big in influencing the youth.

Abi Bakar: Mmmh, on your first question, one example is very easy. Just see how radicals implement the word “jihad” from Al-Quran, I mean does “jihad” mean killing the infidels?

I have to say I’m a bit confused with your second question. But, indeed you didn’t say anything about poverty and uneducated people but you said, “Did he think that those terrorist wanted to blow themselves up in the first place, did he never think that those suicide bombers and terrorist want to have a happy and normal live too with their families in their countries rather than go to usa, spain, etc just to killing infidels?” Well, as far as I know, most of radicals don’t really have to go to those countries you mentioned, they live there! Or if not, they’re rich enough that they can go back and forth to those contries. And why? You can read my article for that. (Respond it by your heart).

Colson said…”Of course suicide bombers/terrorists have to be extremely deeply motivated to participate in such an unbelievable horrifying act. Of course they must be convinced that they have to do what they do, to counter an abominable abuse of gigantic proportions as they perceive it . Of course they must have reached a state of fanaticism. Otherwise they would have chosen a happy family life.”

Indeed, but don’t forget that the things that motivated them to participate in the very terrifying act come from outsiders. They readily accepted the bloody task because they saw a view that they hate. the view which is caused by the outsiders.

Ok mr.colson i think i have enough words to say in this topic, and my point is clear i don’t see fairness on the above article.

Guebukanmonyet: “Mmmh, on your first question, one example is very easy. Just see how radicals implement the word “jihad” from Al-Quran, I mean does “jihad” mean killing the infidels?”

Jihad doesn’t always mean a war or battle, let alone killing infidels…so is this what you call “Muslims read Al-Quran too literally.”

I couldn’t even find a single verse in the Quran that says Jihad means killing infidel then how could you connect ‘Jihad Means killing infidels’ with the “Muslims read Al-Quran too literally.”

Guebukanmonyet:”I have to say I’m a bit confused with your second question. But, indeed you didn’t say anything about poverty and uneducated people but you said, “Did he think that those terrorist wanted to blow themselves up in the first place, did he never think that those suicide bombers and terrorist want to have a happy and normal live too with their families in their countries rather than go to usa, spain, etc just to killing infidels?” Well, as far as I know, most of radicals don’t really have to go to those countries you mentioned, they live there! Or if not, they’re rich enough that they can go back and forth to those contries. And why? You can read my article for that. (Respond it by your heart).”

Yes they didn’t have to go to those countries because you think so, but for them it’s a task that should be done to fight the evil. And do you think USA and its allies have the right to do what we see today? If your answer they don’t have the right, then why did you mention them in your posting.

Abi Bakar: You should read a book called The Enemy At Home by Dinesh D’Souza, I wrote an article on that. The book mainly blames the Liberals in making America so much hated by Muslims, I think it’s a good book and it supports your idea. I agree with you that the act of terrorism done by Islamic radicals are triggered by the unjust condition orchestarted by America and its allies, but in my opinion if Muslims want to improve their living quality then they have to stop blaming others for every single misery that they have, they have to look at themselves on the mirror to see what kind of Muslims they have become.

Well, of course you won’t find “killing the Infidels” as the definiton of jihad in Al-Quran. It’s like when you see the word “sword” it doesn’t mean that you actually are instructed to use a real sword. Look, the word “jihad” means to fight the war in the name of God. Now, if you interpret the word “war” literally you will get a definition that is associated with blood and hatred. But, is that the kind of “war” that we actually should be fighting for? I don’t think so.

Again, I’m confused with your statement. Yes, I don’t support what America and Israel are doing to Palestinians, for example. What did I mention in my post?

Dear Abi Bakar,
( this is not my original posting I just copied this posting from someone else still on this same website-with just a few adjustments, what is your opinion?:jusuf)
I do not prejudice Islam from a few Muslim terrorist but I go directly to the heart of Islam i.e. Qur’an and Hadith. I do this because there is one question in my self;
Did terrorist get inspiration, endorsement or example directly from Qur’an (and Hadith) or just did they simply wrongly interpret them?
If the answer is the second the problem is not very difficult to be solved. But if the answer is the first one, then the problem will be permanent because regrettably it is Qur’an and Hadith themselves encourage hostility, intolerance towards others.
I start to open Qur’an and soon found many verses which disturb me as a human living with modern, pluralistic and humanistic value (jusuf; dear fellow Abi Bakar…you mentioned you couldn’t find any single verse in Qur’an or Hadith about violence….;

“Fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you. (Q.9:123),
“Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people” (Q.5:51),

“Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. (Q.9:5).

“Truly the Pagans are unclean” (Q.9:28,)

“Take not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity above Faith: if any of you do so, they do wrong.” (Q.9:23),

“And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.” (Q.2:193).

“When ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens.” (Q.47:4).

“I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.” (Q.8:12).

I also found in Hadith ;
Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 38, Number 4348
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas:
A blind man had a slave-mother who used to abuse the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and disparage him. He forbade her but she did not stop. He rebukes her but she did not give up her habit. One night she began to slander the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and abuse him. So he took a dagger, placed it on her belly, pressed it, and killed her. A child who came between her legs was smeared with the blood that was there. When the morning came, the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) was informed about it.
He assembled the people and said: I adjure by Allah the man who has done this action and I adjure him by my right to him that he should stand up. Jumping over the necks of the people and trembling the man stood up.
He sat before the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah! I am her master; she used to abuse you and disparage you. I forbade her, but she did not stop, and I rebuked her, but she did not abandon her habit. I have two sons like pearls from her, and she was my companion. Last night she began to abuse and disparages you. So I took a dagger, put it on her belly and pressed it till I killed her.
Thereupon the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Oh be witness, no retaliation is payable for her blood.

Killing some one (in Muhammad’s case a mother with her baby) just because He is offended really far beyond my sense, moral, ethic, justice, human value what ever you can say.

No wonder this Hadith story will inspire terrorist or many radical young Muslims around the world. Here I got from internet somebody’s posting how this Hadith inspires him/ or her;

For Adedah

Case number 1 and 3 I never heard. But another case I know i.e. killing his Jew-servant because the servant abuse The Prophet and it is JUSTIFIED. Why? Because the servant affront The Prophet not because the servant is Jew . And for us (muslim) it is permitted to kill some one if he/or she insults our religion, our prophet…… Even if those who insulting Islam is my family who has same blood with me and then the relationship between me and them is broken off. Yes….. we, Muslim love our God, Prophet more than anything………

(jusuf : actually the words : “….. for Adedah etc….” is in bahasa Indonesia and I translate it in English…)

Anyway,
Tasa said :
“but in my opinion if Muslims want to improve their living quality then they have to stop blaming others for every single misery that they have, they have to look at themselves on the mirror to see what kind of Muslims they have become. ”

I agree with Abi Bakr what he said earlier,
” The chaos is caused BY the TWO SIDES not ONE!”

That is, Muslims must acknowledge that the fault lies in both internal and external influences.

I know you agree with this, but the problem with some of us is that we tend to isolate the factors.

That is, we look at external factors at one time
And then internal factors at another time.

This is not effective because both the internal and external factors correlate.

It is not a case of bookkeeping were are talking about;”I owe you two acts of violence because you committed two acts of violence to me”.

You stressed the importance of showing both sides of the matter. But – forgive me if I’m wrong – it seems to me you shift the responsibility of murder from the murderers to the victims.

Some years ago a Dutch movie director, Theo van Gogh, cooperated with Ayaan Hirshi Ali. They made a film that aroused a lot of anger amongst the Muslim minority in The Netherlands. I could sympathize with the indignation. But maybe some of them should try to grow a thicker skin as well.

A guy, by the name of Mohammed B. got angry enough to murder, slaughter Van Gogh in a ritual way. It was done in the name of his religion and with the blessing of some clerics, he said afterwards. His intention was to die in a shoot out to become a martyr – the shoot out did occur, but he was not killed.

I’m anxious to know what’s your opinion. Is this a justified murder because the victim provoked anger? So it is not the killer, but the victim who is guilty?

As for me, that kind of reasoning is absurd. I rather think those clerics who stirred up the anger, and condoned the action, preach a perverted version of their religion. They share a responsibility for violence with the murderer.

Yunir: I have to say I’m disappointed with you, you should’ve been more open minded. Writing this article doesn’t mean that I don’t acknowledge the unfair treatment that the West is giving to Islam. The reason why I didn’t put the external factors that you and Abi Bakar argued is because this article was meant to be a self-criticism for all of us as Muslims. I might want to write the external factor later on other articles.

Now, if you have a child and he complains to you that his friends keep teasing him because he’s been getting bad grades at school, what will you say? Will you tell him that it’s all his friends’ fault or will you tell your kid to ignore his friends and just focus on how to improve his grades?

Look, you have to admit that there are some lunatic Islamic clerics who think that it’s ok to put bombs on your body to kill the infidels, while they send their kids to American schools.

Jusuf: Well, I’m sure you’ll find many disturbing verses from bible too. That is not a proper way to analyze Islam by scrambling verses like that.

Oky: I think you have a pretty good knowledge on Islam and its teaching. I should learn more from you.

So Crowded in here …. i like to read Guebukanmonyet’s articles .. and it’s my first time to write a comment … in my opinion,the muslims extrimist think that the western (not all of western for sure) are terrorist .. meaning they give terror in a different way … supporting israel to do the invasion to palestine … strict regulation to the country which against the policies .. i’m not good in politics but i can see the tendetious of to fight muslims country .. so they fight back in their “way” .. i’m not agree in anykind of murdering .. it’s not our right to take human’s life … and i hate when they called it jihad, while they killed innocent people … for me US foreign policy is a threat to the international world … btw anyone see Queen Rania of Jordan in Oprah Winfrey??? She explained quite a bit bout muslim in middle east ..

about the statistics on the top of your article; it just happened to be that those criminals were muslims. I mean, come on, talking about rapist, terrorists, it could be anyone from any religions. here, the statistic is doing some tricks on us: it emphasizes some data, but understate other coherence data.

as to this eastern vs western and whatnot, in my opinion, it’s a matter of perspective. in a ‘war’ (yea, we can call this situation as a war, can’t we?), we will proclaim ourself to be the ‘good guy’, therefore we will consider the opponent as the ‘bad guy’. but what’s good and bad anyway? we don’t even define goods and bads in the same context, so why fight? but they fight anyway, about religion, about who’s being the terrorist and who’s the life-saver hero.

I thank you, for writing all this in your blog, and telling the world what Islam is all about.

ms.me: I’m so sorry I skipped replying your comment. Welcome to my blog, I’m glad to know that you like my articles. I support your idea that Western may have been oppressing Muslims in many ways and that can’t be a justification for the wrong kind of jihad.

Vienz: I know, it is painful for us, Muslims. I agree that not all terrorists are Muslims, that’s the fact. But it is disturbing to know that most of them are Muslims. Let’s not blame Islam, a pure religion that teaches love, peace, and tolerance.

And it is a fact that even the definition of terrorism and terrorists is being manipulated by Western medias who just think that Islam is a good thing to sell.

Hi Tasa… I juz read dis article ‘n I like it. I zhink you’re great. I agree wit you. Can I fwd dis article to all my friendz who alwayz blame Islam as ‘barbar religion’ b/c the sooo-called terrorist? (Sum of my friendz being an atheis/chuuzing another religion b/c disappointed with Islam. I zhink it’s not fair! As far as I know, they didnt do za prayers or fasting as a good muslim do. How come you disappointed wit sumthing you dnt know?? It’s just dnt make a sense for me!) For za 1st time in my life, I want to read za Koran (even it’s difficult for me -but I hv za translation version^^). I wanna undrstnd Islam. Once again, I agree wit you, I hv found za disturbing verses in baiburu ‘n questioned that, but my friendz said that I’m bad or nutz (>_<) Waiting for your reply. p.s Sowwy for my bad eenglis.

Sure, you can forward the article to your friends so they can know more about Islam. For people who are born “accidentally” in Muslim falmilies they have more tendency not to learn Islam deeper, because Islam is just part of their daily culture, that they feel they don’t have the obligation to learn about Islam in deep ways. To love Islam and our God, it is recommended that we learn more about Islam in many ways and try to absorb the essential values that Islam teaches, and in doing so the help of sheikhs might be helpful but it is our hearts that have the ultimate authorization. Thank you🙂

guebukanmonyet :Look, you have to admit that there are some lunatic Islamic clerics who think that it’s ok to put bombs on your body to kill the infidels, while they send their kids to American schools

why don’t u see from another perspective : why this moderate clerics who have no problem to send his kids to american schools have to proclaiming a fatwa that permitting to kill AMERICAN civilian IN IRAQ ? —-note that the fatwa is about American in Iraq,not in any other countries–.

I just stumbled upon your page and I found that your blog entry really caught my attention.

Yes it is very unfortunate that Islam is now viewed as a malicious religion, when in truth, it teaches many great values. I do hope that this misunderstanding will be short lived and the bad reputations will be cleared.

Like you mentioned before, Most muslim countries are left because they are less education. I want to add on to that, that I think they are left behind because the government system is strongly influenced by the dominating religion. I personally think that religion should be excluded in the political system. Of course politics and religion are attached. People’s political labels define where they stand on moral issues, but it should just go as far as that. in a country where a majority party, in this case the interest of the Muslims, influences most of its government decision making, there’ll be a bigger chance that the majority party will break into tyranny by trying to enforce each and every perspective that they hold on others, rather than a country with many different kinds of factions, why? because with that many different interests, there will be less chance for one faction to dominate others. That may be a problem with Muslim countries, like Iraq, right now, that’s why conflicts between their citizens happen often, like a part of their daily routine.

I don’t intend to idolize the Western politics, but their government system and decision-making methods proves to be successful, each, or most of the citizenz’ voices are represented, because different interests are mixed together and they agree upon the decisions that they think are the best but also benefit everyone.
As a response to yunir’s comment about American media, I agree that American media does play a role in shaping the perception of people towards Muslims, because what’s on the news is all about the die-hard Muslims with their crazy objectives, but as far as I know, American media hasn’t particularly labeled Muslims as terrorists.

Good job on your blog, keep it up, looking forward to the next entry!🙂

Hi, I’m glad you found my blog. Welcome. Well, you may have a point that religions should be excluded from a government system. But, in my opinion it’s a bit hard for Muslims to do that. The reason for that is because Islam is a humanistic religion, correct me if I’m wrong. Islam is the only religion where its holy book explains more things in this so-called real life than things in life after death and other superstitious issues. Islam is the only religion that has a clear explanation on how a nation should be governed.

hi, i saw my blog visitors list and i find your url, i wonder was it you clicked my link?🙂 thanks anyway.
you are lucky having such a traffic communication with audiences, still replying in an objective fashion, even for those opposing you. that is appreciable
can i leave a mark here? i find some sentences to be spotlighted

#1
“…we must say that most of the terrorists in the world are Muslims.”
well, really? i find this clause is very doubtful. when the author say “most”, what kind of data and from what statistical organization she/he referred? FBI, perhaps … (although this kind of bureau is yet another questionable example for its neutrality …) or, did he/she count it by herself/himself (haha!)? how many percent did she/he inferred? what age (length of time) does she/he concern about?
why should we care about these details? this statement is so sensitive, all of the reports must be accurate. i just think that the fact mentioned above is quite not objective since it is not compared to the other cases (by non-muslim people)

#2
“…he doesn’t really need clerics for his spiritual thirst.”
i regret to tell you that i feel discomfort with this part. you know … being in a religion means a journey and means a process of learning which always need a guidance. sure, the one could guide us is not only cleric, we know that Kholifa Ali bin abi Thalib had sad, “take ‘hikmah’ anywhere you find it, even if you find it in such a hypocrite.” thats why we can take it from anyone we see. but why should we turn our back on them? in spite of their conservatism they are people know some details better than us, for example about tajwid or Arabian grammar, which are significantly important skill in learning (the messages of) the Quran, right?
sure, they are humans just like us. that’s why we decode their lessons by our mind (and pure heart, never forget that) before we apply in our daily life, that’s smart people should do

#3
“…i hate to see people who claim that they are backed by God destroying the religion i believe, islam”
agree. i believe you can distinguish people who are consistently do they way of islam in the true mission that is called “rahmatal lil alamin—gracious for universe”; separately off from those who rudely picked up the holy name of islam in such a dirty case, ruining the peace of human beings🙂

basically, i do agree that islam needs to do such an effort to improve. well, actually the right term shouldnt be this. have you ever read about the history of islam in europe, in the first half of 2nd millennium … we are the inspiration of europe’s reinnasance. So, not to improve, but to get back … to the truth of the lesson taught by the divine message

right, just like what you’ve said, you should write deeper. i think the part concerning your query is a bit too short in balancing the quoted article. put more traceable opinion and facts, it will be great (just a reminder from a dental student joining department of journalism :p)

and i think it will be nice if you keep posting something in the next opportunity, related to your activities, that will contribute in changing how the world say about islam(just my humble opinion). best regards

Interesting analogy in your conclusion: the perceived denegration of Islam by extremists is considered to be on the same level as having relations with the archetypal ‘evil’ woman, aka the ‘whore,’ as you so delicately put it. Now what’s that all about then, ‘eh?

ps statistically, last I heard, the Tamil Tigers were in the lead regarding overall numbers of suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks…

Your #1 critism: Sadly, it doesn’t require a sophisticated statistical data to prove that argument. Just read the newspapers and news programs, I know Western medias can be so unfair.

For your #2 criticism, I didn’t mean that we as Muslims don’t need clerics 100 percent, of course we do need them as a guidance for us to have better religious lives. But, it’s true that our society is a cleric-dominated one, especially in villages and small cities, and sometimes it’s just too much. Whether or not it’s too much can be so much relative, but when clerics are humans too after all and so many (sadly) clerics are backed up by political parties our uneducated Muslims could be the victims of this condition.

[…] This article is tangible evidence on how the unfairness can be so frankly displayed directly from the mind of a Muslim; according of his own admission he’s running a campaign of self criticism. I red the article, and the immediate impression I got was “unfairness”. He focuses only the terrifying tragedies done by so-called Terrorists, while at the same time he’s totally absent in applying the same concern on mass destructions and mass murders which have been done systematically by the outsiders in Muslims lands. Is that just? Yes, because it’s a self-criticism, isn’t it? Therefore, the only community that should be put to blame are Muslims terrorist with respect to self-criticism, and all horrible incidents ever occurred that must be exposed must be those done by Muslims terrorist….err it’s self-criticism any way! […]

[…] This article is tangible evidence on how the unfairness can be so frankly displayed directly from the mind of a Muslim; according of his own confession he’s running a campaign of self criticism. I red the article, and the immediate impression I got was “unfairness”. He focuses only the terrifying tragedies done by so-called Terrorists, while at the same time he’s totally absent in applying the same concern on mass destructions and mass murders which have been done systematically by the outsiders in Muslims lands. Is that just? Yes, because it’s a self-criticism, isn’t it? Therefore, the only community that should be put to blame are Muslims terrorist with respect to self-criticism, and all horrible incidents ever occurred that must be exposed must be those done by Muslims terrorist….err it’s self-criticism any way! […]

A O A.
Hello In charge,
I visited your website and deeply impressed by your work and teachings. I found that you are doing agreat work for the Islamic people in the meantime. I am a professional translator as you know that the Urdu is the language of different countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan,etc. i want that your work should be appreciated in these countries . I want to do work with your ministry OR organisation as a Traslator.I hopes that you will consider me for this great option.
Your Sincerely,
Zainab Naseem

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About Me

guebukanmonyet is Tasa Nugraza Barley. He's a free man with unique thoughts and dreams. He sees his life and this world differently from anyone else. That's because he knows what he wants; and for that reason he doesn't want
to be the same. Read why he blogs, here.